Reluctance, thy name is Takumi
by DA830
Summary: All Takumi wants is some free time after school. Now he has to walk Sakura to her after-school program. Why did he agree to this again? Oh yeah, a certain blue haired girl. He develops feelings for her, will they become something more? Rated T for romance and other stuff. Modern AU. In the process of being rewritten.
1. Chapter 1

**So...Oboro x Takumi. Possibly the most canon and best ship in FEF ever. Here's a piece about it. Hope you like.**

"Oniichan…"

Takumi turned around again, for what had to be the seventh time. He had a frustrated air about him, the least she could do was keep up. He forced himself to calm down, she was only an eight year old. It made sense that she was struggling to keep up at the brisk pace he was walking.

Still, it didn't hide the fact that she was so damn slow. And it was blistering hot in the afternoon pre-summer sun. And-

He could've named a thousand more things wrong with him doing this - he was the complaining type of course - but he had to get his little sister to her after-school program. After that - he breathed a sigh of what was to come - he could do what he pleased for the remaining three hours before dinnertime.

It all could've been avoided if Ryoma hadn't received detention...what was he doing? Ryoma was the sort to get straight-A's, never get in trouble, not land himself in detention. _It was probably one of his insensitive friends...and he stuck up for them so he got it trouble...yeah, let's go with that,_ Takumi mused. And now he was stuck with the impossibly boring task of walking Sakura, a task that would've usually been done by Ryoma.

Why did they even need to bring her to an after-school program again anyways? Oh, yes. _She's still young and none of you I deem old enough to look after her when school's over. Besides, you're probably too busy to look after her anyways. Which is why we've enrolled her in an after-school program to take her off your backs. She'll still need someone to walk her there though, and I will delegate that task to Ryoma._ At this their father had pointed at the long haired teen, who simply nodded and went back to his work. _A model child._

* * *

Before long, they arrived at their destination, a faded old place. He'd seen it before, it's appearance was no surprise to him. It was situated on, not a big street; their small town had no big streets, but one of the more main streets. Their town was small, with not a lot of cars and everyone knew each other.

"Hello, Takumi." A girl with long, brown hair and _breasts_ (not that he cared) walked past the two, as if to prove his point. "Why're you out here, at this time?" She gestured towards the sun, a bit to the west but still overhead enough to cast circular shadows. "It's sweltering hot out here."

 _No kidding,_ Takumi thought. He put on a strained smile and said, "Stuck with escort duty." It was Ryoma's girlfriend - sorry, _best_ friend - Kagero. "Are you looking for Ryoma?" he quipped.

"Well, he's in detention," she sighed. "I don't know what he's done now - I can't think of anything he would've done to deserve that."

 _Wow, she sure is laying it on thick,_ he thought, sort of disgusted. _Well, she_ is _his girlfriend._

"It was nice talking, Takumi. I have to go."

She carried on walking down the dusty sidewalk leaving Takumi in incredulity in front of the drab front. _We'd barely talked for a minute and she called that a conversation?_ He shook his head as Sakura called out, "Bye-bye boob lady!"

He saw Kagero's eyes widen and jaw drop slightly. She didn't say anything though, and her expression was mirrored in Takumi's own face, except he was trying to smother his laughs. He coughed a bit to hide them, but ended up coughing a lot more because of the dust swirling along the road.

"Are you okay oniichan?" Sakura jumped up to pat his back. Even at this tender, young age, she was more caring than him.

 _Figures,_ he thought, and said "Yes, thanks, Sakura. Let's go in." He motioned towards the door and pulled.

Nothing happened. He pulled again. Maybe the door was jammed? He pulled with all his might and -

 _Pop!_ The door caved inwards, led by a slightly amused Hinata. "Hey! Takumi! Whatcha doing here?"

Before he answered, he took a moment to internally berate himself. _Idiot! You've been here before! Why did you forget it was a push door! Way to make yourself look stupid in front of your best friend. Hold on. Hinata's here?_

"Hey," he greeted his best friend as he casually slid sideways into the room, lightly pulling his redhead sister in with him. "I got stuck walking Sakura because Ryoma landed in detention. What about you?"

Hinata groaned. "My mother saw this ad in the flyers about this place needing some volunteers to help around, so she roped me into doing it. I got _her_ into it too though. That reminds me, I brought someone for you to meet!"

"Um, I really should be going though-" he looked at his watch, barely registering the time. He just wanted to get home.

"Don't be such as spoilsport Takumi, it'll only take a few minutes," Hinata replied with a good natured grin and a slap on his back.

He left Sakura to play on the mats with her other friends while Hinata led him to the check-in counter. _Volunteers?_ He took a quick glance around, his eyes still watering. It _did_ look like the place needed a few touchups, not to mention being short on staff. _I don't even know how they manage to make this place seem so friendly on the inside,_ Takumi wondered.

"...hey? Bro?" Hinata's voice shook him out of his wondering trance. He shook his head, clearing away his thoughts. He made a mental note to get away as soon as possible. "Yeah, Hinata?"

"You should stay and help with us. This place does look like it needs some serious cleanup, and we need all the help we can get," Hinata said quite seriously. _Dammit! Why does it feel like he knows what I'm thinking?_ Takumi thought furiously. When Takumi didn't reply, Hinata broke into a smile. "That's it, let's go."

He led Takumi to the counter. "Anyways, want you to meet Oboro, my cousin. She's staying with us for a few weeks while her aunt's on a trip."  
"Cuz, you gonna help or not?" A dark-blue haired girl, couldn't have been any younger than him, said impatiently to Hinata before Takumi had a chance to register what Hinata said. She was hunched over a paper. Hinata grinned. "Takumi, meet Oboro," he introduced. Oboro's eyes shot up from the document she was working on. Her eyes narrowed and Takumi suddenly had the feeling he was being judged. _Hah. How many times have_ I _done that?_ He thought bitterly.

"Nice to meet you." Oboro stood up and walked around the desk, holding out her hand to shake his. He warily accepted it. Her hand was warm and soft and some places, but rough in others, like a tailor's.

He looked up and made eye contact with her. They held it, for a long time...maybe too long...was that a slight blush he detected, creeping up her cheeks? His hand grew sweaty. _When are we going to let go?_ He thought, a slight edge of panic making its way into his thought-voice.

With a flash, she broke it. "Sorry," she muttered. "I just have this weird thing, I don't know when to let go…" she looked up, avoiding meeting his eyes.

Takumi stepped backwards, silently letting out a breath. Hinata watched, nodding his head. "Well, now that we've gotten to know each other, -"

"Are you going to sit around all day, or can we actually use you volunteers for what you signed up for?" a woman with short blue hair and a scar over her eye strode in. Her words were scolding but her tone was light-hearted. Reina, the overseer. Her appearance was deceiving, she was really a kind person and was popular with the children.

"Yes ma'am!" Hinata held up his arm in mock salute. Oboro laughed. Takumi gave a small chuckle. "What would you have us do first, ma'am?"

She smiled. "I'm going to continue the paperwork you were doing, dear-" she nodded at Oboro "-so you three can go out and watch the children. I trust you can handle them?" She looked pointedly at Hinata.

"Of course we can," Oboro replied. Reina smiled, gathered her papers, and walked into the back room.

Hinata led the two out of the enclosed desk-space. "There aren't many people here today," he commented amiably. Takumi's eyes swept the medium-sized room. There was Sakura, her friend Hayato, and a few others he didn't know but were here at regular intervals. Six of them, in total. _Shouldn't be too much of a job for us._

"Hey? Kids!" Takumi tentatively raised his voice.

"You can't do it like that," Oboro told him. "You have to be assertive. Hey! Children!" it worked; all six were now looking at them. "If you need anything, we'll be right over here! 'Kay?" They nodded or said some sort of 'yes'. Hinata shrugged and turned towards one of the tables, Takumi and Oboro close at his heels.

Takumi pulled at a chair, Oboro did the same across from him. Hinata suddenly froze. "Guys, I gotta go to the washroom. I will be _right back_." He sped off towards the restrooms, while Takumi looked on, amused and Oboro sat slightly confused.

"So," he said, turning back to Oboro, still embarrassed about his earlier blunder but determined not to show it.

"So," she agreed. "We might as well talk about something, we'll be seeing each other all week."

" _All_ week?" Takumi asked, horrified.

"Yeah, the flyer said that they would need help this week, maybe some of next. That's what you're here for, right?"

"That's right," he mumbled. There goes his after-schools. At least it was nearing the end of school, he was going to have less homework. "Fine, then. We might as well get comfortable."

They sat in mutual silence for a while, watching the children play.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Takumi slowly turned. Oboro's hands were at her mouth. He raised an eyebrow. She was madly blushing. "Oh gods! Sorry!"

He decided to think nothing of it, after all, they barely knew each other. " _I_ don't," he said, drawing out the _I_ , "but my brother does. He says she isn't, that they're only best friends, but-" he gave a small laugh. "We all know better."

"Really?" The blush was gone, he could tell she was curious. "How old is he?"

"19."

She sat back, as if in thought. "Is it nice, having siblings? And two, for that matter?"

"Three," he automatically corrected her. "Two sisters and a brother."

" _Three?_ " She gaped, most people were like that when they heard that he had three siblings. "Where do you place?"

"...second youngest."

"Hey," she said playfully, "be thankful you even have siblings. I'm an only child. My parents started their tailoring profession after I was born, they...don't have time to take care of a baby anymore…"

 _That explains her hands._ "Do they teach you? I mean, tailoring?"

"Oh yes!" Her eyes lit up, almost as if she was in another world. Her mood changed so fast Takumi almost has trouble keeping up. "And fashion! I love fashion. I'm studying design in high school, it's not so far away from here but it's specialized. I plan to be a designer or a tailor when I grow up, follow in my parents' footsteps."

 _Deet-deet-deet-deet._ The sudden noise broke up Oboro's long rant. They both stared at Takumi's watch. _Six o'clock…_ "My parents are going to come pick us up soon," he felt himself say.

"Oh...ok…bye then…" She sounded almost disappointed, but her demeanor changed almost immediately. "Hey, where's my cousin? He couldn't possibly be in the bathroom all that time."

Takumi burst out laughing.

She jumped, surprised. "What is it?"

He managed to get a few words out. "Hinata...in the bathroom...gods-" he visualized - well, you probably don't want to know what he saw.

Oboro was clearly confused, but she settled for a smirk. "He's right there - of course. Playing with the little kids. Hey Hinata," she called out, "we're going. Parents are coming to pick up, we'd best split now."

Hinata stood up, dusting his shorts off. At the same time, Reina came out of the back room to the sight of parents picking up their children and three very intact teenagers. "Glad to see you're all in one piece - I take it you're coming back tomorrow?" she inquired.

"You bet we are, ma'am!" Once again, Hinata fake-saluted her. She responded likewise - "At ease, men. And woman -" she gestured to Oboro "-you'd best get a good night's sleep - it's a school day tomorrow."

She spoke the truth, it was only Tuesday and they had three more long days ahead of them before the weekend.

"Alright, skedaddle now," she said, flicking her hands.

"Let's go, Sakura," Takumi said quietly to his younger sister. He made for the exit, she happily took pursuit. He could see his older sister, also a redhead, Hinoka, in a car parked along the street.

"See you tomorrow, Takumi," Oboro called out as they went opposite ways. Takumi could only nod, he was feeling kind of funny.

"Weird that you stayed the entire time," Hinoka commented. He said nothing. Hinoka sighed. If only she could get her moody brother to open up more…

* * *

Takumi lay in bed, thinking. Mostly about a certain dark-blue haired girl who loved fashion. He kept going over their conversation, how her hands felt, her strange comments -

Oh gods.

Was he _in love_?

He turned over and faltered. _If Hinoka, or even Leo, got hold of this information, they would never let me forget it…_ he groaned audibly. _Why do things have to be so complicated!?_

Nevertheless, it was safe to say that he slept fitfully.

 **Was it too fast, his interest? Sorry if Oboro is OOC. I can't really gather what her personality is, other than she's fashion savvy and girly (thanks RG). If anyone could give me some pointers, that'd be great. Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Day 2 and we're still going strong. Thank you to Lavender Empress and Scraplord for reviewing! It means a lot to me, it really does.**

 **Anyways long weekend so yay! More time to write. Enjoy.**

* * *

Do _I like her?_

It was the question he had been asking himself all day. School was easy for him anyways, which opened his mind up to think about other things.

Like Oboro.

Similar to the previous day, it was scorching hot, only adding to the amount of sweat Takumi was producing, both from the heat and the thought of talking to her again.

He stopped outside the place again, mentally steadying himself for what lay within. He placed his palms on the warm glass, pushed (of course he wouldn't forget _this_ time) and he was immediately met with a blast of frigid air.

"Close the door, we don't want to let any hot air in," Oboro called from the back. Takumi turned around and pulled his sister in with him, careful to shut the door. His cheeks were burning from the sight of her. _Gods, this is crazy!_

"Sakura!" A girl, looked about Sakura's age with long, blonde locks, ran up to the two. "Come play!"

"Oniichan?" the pinkette looked up at her older brother with questioning eyes. He nodded slowly, wanting to delay his arrival as much as possible. The pair of girls ran off. He slowly walked up to the table where she was sitting.

"Takumi!" He glanced up. It was Hinata approaching him. _Thank the gods. A buffer-_

"I'm going to help Reina with her work this time, you watch the kids with Oboro. I reckon she thinks you two can do okay without me." Hinata smiled lopsidedly. "Have fun!" He walked back into one of the back rooms.

 _Have fun!?_ Takumi thought furiously. _HAVE FUN!?_

"Takumi?"

He was going to have to face it sooner or later.

"What's got you down Takumi?"

He managed a sigh and flopped into the chair across from Oboro, trying to hide his blush. "Oh...nothing." _Only you._

He looked back. She was staring at him in obvious interest. He closed his eyes, willing his face to cool down and preparing himself a second time. _Okay, if this is going to work, I need to push my feelings away and talk to her like a sane person._

He turned his body towards her. "I'm fine. How about you?"

"Good…"

The silence between them stretched like like the taut bowstrings in Takumi's archery classes. _C'mon, say something!_ "So, you said your parents are tailors?"

"They _were_ tailors," she corrected with a bitter smile. "They're dead now."

 _Dead?_ His eyes widened. _Sh-shit! Why am I so stupid?_

"Sorry," he muttered. "I didn't mean to bring it up."

"That's alright." Her expression was stoic, but her voice sounded a bit shaky. "It happened when I was young...I don't remember much. I learned everything I know about tailoring from them."

She gave a watery smile. "I shouldn't get too mopey, though. What's happened has happened, there's no point dwelling on the past when I have the present to live through."

"Hey! You two!"

Takumi swiveled his body, trying to find the source of the yell. It was Reina from the back room, her office. " He pricked his ears, waiting for the rest of her message. "If you're done flirting, then get your butts in here!"

Takumi could practically hear his ears blowing steam. _Gah! Flirting!? She was talking about her dead_ _parents!_ He didn't know what Oboro was feeling, but he would bet his bow that it was the same as him.

As they got up to follow, Takumi decided to chance the question. "We...we weren't... _flirting_ , were we?"

"Of course not. I was talking about my _dead_ parents!" she joked sarcastically.

 _So she's prone to mood changes,_ he noted. _Am_ I _like that?_ That was what he was told constantly by his mother and Hinoka, that he was in _those_ stages of his life, his hormones were kicking in and _voila!_ unpredictable mood swings. _At least it's something we have in common,_ he consoled himself.

They walked in silence for the rest of the short way.

They were met by a slightly surprising scene when they entered the room. Hinata sitting on a chair, his playful attitude somewhat dimmed down, and Reina behind a desk with a somber expression and crossed arms.

"Hinata? Did you do something wrong?" Oboro quipped with a smile. Takumi was wondering exactly the same thing.

"This will only take two minutes. After this, I need you three back there like _nothing has happened._ Got it?"

Takumi gave a slow, slightly confused nod. Oboro was the one who spoke up. "What is it?" Her tone was more serious now.

"I just got this." Reina's voice was hard. She held up an envelope. Not anything special, just an envelope. "Here." She held it out to Takumi, who warily accepted it.

 _Hoshidan Royal Bank._ "Can I open it?"

"It's already opened," Oboro pointed out. "Let's read it." She took the envelope from his hands. He stiffened at the contact but he didn't think anyone noticed.

He could see her eyes moving back and forth, occasionally frowning at what was on the page. Her eyes widened and he could take it no longer. He slid around her and started reading over her shoulder, trying to ignore the fact that she smelled pleasantly of lilacs. Nope, he didn't care about that. Not at all.

 _Dear Reina Yugiri,_

 _It has recently come to our attention that you have been neglecting your rent for the past two months. As you may recall, we already gave you two chances to pay it back, which you assured us you will. You may also recall that you did not follow through on this assurance. As a result, we are afraid we will have to take back the property you rented in two weeks' time. You may re-rent it when the time period of one month has officially passed._

 _Regards,_

 _Hoshidan Royal Bank_

"So - does that mean - ?" Takumi questioned.

"We have two weeks," Reina answered grimly. "As you can see, we can barely afford a new paint job. You three are all the staff we have."

"All the staff?" Oboro's voice had taken an alarming turn. "What - the kids!" she turned tail and rushed back to the open area.

Reina whistled. "Only two minutes. Anyways, _don't let the kids know_." She directed her command at both boys, Hinata simply nodded while Takumi asked, "So you'll end the business? Don't people pay you for this?"

She laughed bitterly. "I guess my kindness was my downfall. I wanted to do this out of my heart, not because I needed cash. We've been running on loans and whatever I make at my part-time job. Also," she added, pointing two fingers at both boys, "don't breathe a word of this to anyone. No one needs to know the details of this. Although…" she relented, "it wouldn't hurt to get a few more people around here to help. You two are on recruitment duty. Find one or two people each to come after school and help out. You're dismissed."

Hinata stood up and followed Takumi out of the older woman's office. Once they were out of earshot, they started to discuss the situation.

"So...this old place is going down." Hinata didn't sound excited, in fact, it was the contrary.

"Yeah...it's a shame. Six pairs of parents relied on this," Takumi replied, trying to make a joke out of it. Just to lighten the mood.

Hinata lifted his head and turned towards Takumi. "I thought you'd be…" he paused, as if searching for the right word. "Happy? Glad? You never wanted to do this, right?"

"About that…" Takumi began, knowing it was true, "I...sorta changed my mind."

"Changed your mind?" Immediately, Hinata's mood lightened considerably. Takumi could almost feel it; he was standing right beside him. "What made you? Or, should I say _who_ made you?"

Takumi flushed scarlet. _Gods, does he know?_ "What makes you think that?" he asked, ignoring Hinata's ever-growing smirk.

"Ha! You should have seen your face!" Hinata doubled over in laughter. Oboro, tending to one of the children's needs, looked over. Hinata dying of laughter, Takumi brighter than a tomato. She shrugged and turned back.

"Just kidding, Taki. But the way you reacted, I can't help think so." Hinata slapped Takumi on the back again, but with less force.

 _Taki_ was what people had called him in kindergarten. Apparently _Takumi_ was too hard for a five-year old to pronounce so that's what most of his classmates had called him. It had lost its use after a while, but Hinata still called him that sometimes just to annoy him.

"Well, you thought wrong."

Hinata was still chuckling. "Whatever you say, bro."

Takumi just rolled his eyes. Why did he put up with this again? Oh yes, Hinata was his best friend.

 _Deet-deet-dee-_

Takumi's hand flew to his watch without thinking and turned off the alarm. "Six o'clock," he murmured. As if on cue, the door to the outside world opened. A tall man walked in, he looked about Ryoma's age. He had mid-length blond hair and carried himself with an air of confidence.

 _Probably a model child and student like him too,_ Takumi inwardly grumbled. He was about to get a shock though, because who would step about from behind him but...Leo.

Gods, Leo.

Takumi saw enough of him at school, why did he need to run into him here? They were self-sworn enemies, they constantly annoyed each other to the point that some people even said they were - gasp! - friends. Unconceivable!

But right now, all Takumi wanted to do was to get home.

He quietly whispered "bye" to Hinata, prepared himself for contact and tapped Oboro and the shoulder to say bye, and grabbed Sakura to slip out unseen and unnoticed. She just had time to say a hurried goodbye before she was grabbed by Takumi.

He didn't see what they were there for (although Leo and his brother looked a bit like the girl with blonde locks Sakura was with earlier) and frankly, he didn't care either. His older sister was waiting outside in their car as always. He walked briskly out, ignoring the blast of sudden heat and practically threw themselves into the car.

"Why in such a hurry?" Hinoka questioned shrewdly.

"Leo" was all Takumi said. She tilted her head to one side. "Aren't you guys, like, best friends or something?"

Takumi sighed. Exactly what he meant. "Firstly, Hinata's my best friend. Secondly, I hate that blond jerk!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Whatever you say, little bro. So, Sakura, how did it go?"

Takumi slowly zoned out as his sisters' banter turned to less interesting topics. He didn't get long to though, it was a smaller town after all. They were too tired to walk back on most days though, which is why Hinoka came to pick them up. She usually stayed at school after it ended though, and it was just on her way back home. Plus it was more dangerous to walk back home later in the day. At least that's what their mother said, and no one wanted to make her disappointed so everyone listened to her.

Before long it was dinnertime. Everyone had finished washing up and the entire family was gathered around the dining table.

"Pass the rice, Takumi, please," Mikoto asked her son from across the table.

"Hnh? Oh, right." Takumi grabbed the vegetables instead and tried to give them to his mother.

"That's the broccoli, Takumi," his mother sighed. Hinoka snickered but Takumi didn't notice.

"Is it just me, or does he look preoccupied these days?" Sumeragi, their father, whispered to Mikoto.

"I don't know, dear, I don't know."

* * *

 **Reina's last name: Yugiri (derived from her Japanese name, Yuugiri. I was lazy.)**

 **Hopefully I will get the next chapter done pretty soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Surprise surprise! Two chapters in a day! Sorry this one's a bit shorter than the other ones, but I had to get it out. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Enjoy!**

* * *

The next week passed without much incident other than an inquiring Ryoma.

"Alright, I'm off!" Takumi announced at their front door.

"Hold on, do you want me to do it?" Ryoma came down the stairs, holding his backpack. "I'm off detention now so I can continue if you want."

 _Oh, uh, crap._ "Don't you have homework, Ryoma?" Takumi countered.

"Well, yes but-"

"You should probably do it then. I don't mind subbing for a bit more anyways."

Ryoma looked briefly surprised, then shrugged. _Maybe it's a phase._ He turned back up the stairs, throwing out a thanks over his shoulder.

"Be careful!" Mikoto called from the kitchen.

"We will!" Sakura called back. Mikoto smiled and went back to chopping up vegetables.

* * *

Reina's program wasn't very eventful either. The children were very well-behaved, which gave the three chances to talk. And talk. Aaaand talk.

"So, Takumi!" The three friends were sitting at a table, a rare sight as Hinata was usually helping Reina with something or other. Takumi suspected they were plotting something, while Oboro thought she just liked him the best.

"Let's play a game," Hinata started with an evil grin appearing on his face. "How about...truth or double truth?"

Takumi grimaced while Oboro sat, looking confused. "What is-"

"It's a modified version of truth or dare, except without dare. Double truth can be a really personal question and the person _has_ to answer, no matter what," Takumi explained, already dreading it.

"Sure, why not," Oboro shrugged. Hinata rubbed his hands together while his evil grin grew. "Alright, who wants to go first?"

A silence met those fateful words. "Okay, guess I'll go first then!" Hinata decided. "Takumi, truth or double truth?"

He knew it was coming. "Truth."

Hinata pouted, but it was to be expected. "Fine, but next time I'll have you picking double truth. Okay, what's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"

Takumi paused, trying to remember and sift through all the memories that immediately came to him. Oboro looked on in interest. "Well there was this one time -"

By the end of his story, Hinata was on the ground, shaken with fits of silent laughter and Oboro was trying her hardest not to laugh. Takumi uncomfortably tried to look responsible, they were supposed to be looking after the kids.

"Okay, then, Hinata, truth or double truth? I won't ask you yet until you've had a chance to grasp the game," Takumi added to Oboro.

"How thoughtful of you!" she replied with a smile.

"Let's make this interesting then! Double truth," Hinata smirked. He didn't care what was coming to him, he just wanted to make Takumi _admit_ it.

Hinata _was_ smarter than he looked.

"Do you have a crush on anyone?" The classic C-bomb. Bound to come up in any T-or-D game.

Hinata gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah," he admitted.

Takumi's eyes almost popped out of his head. He was about to ask who, but Oboro got there first.

"Really, cuz!? Who is it?" She leaned across the table. Takumi was eager to know as well.

Hinata laughed. "Hey, hey - one question per turn. And I won't be choosing double T for a while now, just to make you guys suffer." He sat back.

Oboro frowned. "Can't I just ask you if you choose T?"

Takumi broke in, "Yeah, but there's no guarantee that we'll answer it. Hinata, it's your turn."

"Oboro you got the hang of it now?" Hinata checked. The bluenette nodded. "Okay, so I'll ask you: truth or double truth?"

"Truth," Oboro answered almost automatically.

"Hm, not much I can do with that," Hinata was disappointed yet again. "How about...have you ever been drunk before?"

"What kind of delinquent do you take me for?" she returned, mildly offended. "I'm only 15."

 _So she's one year younger than me._

"Right, right, sorry cuz. So it's your turn to ask," Hinata apologized.

Oboro turned to Takumi. "Takumi, truth or double truth?" she smirked.

"Double truth." The words slipped out before Takumi even had a chance to register. _Oh, gods. Did I just say that?_

Hinata's eyes widened, then he started shaking in anticipation and glee.

Oboro's expression couldn't have been any better. "So...are _you_ crushing on anybody?"

 _I should have seen it coming. I can't lie either…._

"...yes…"

"OH MY GODS!" Hinata shrieked, garnering looks of alarm from the children playing.

"Shut up!" Oboro admonished, pounding him on the back. Hinata gave a small cough. "Sorry...but Takumi has a crush!"

"Say it any louder, would ya?" Takumi hissed.

"So," Hinata said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Who is it?"

Takumi scoffed. "I'd sooner become friends with that Leo guy than tell you!"

"Well, at least you know what's coming when you say TT again!"

Takumi made a mental note never to pick double truth again.

He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice Oboro's face fall. Was that a hint of disappointment...or jealousy? Maybe even sadness?

Oboro shook her head and it disappeared. Takumi didn't even notice.

The game went on, but no one picked double truth again. It was only broken up when Hinata slapped his forehead and said, "Oh yeah! I forgot to ask you earlier, but do you want to sleep over on Saturday night? I asked my parents, they said we could. Oboro's gonna be there too-"

"Well yeah, because I LIVE with you?" Oboro reminded him, a bit of sass present in her reprimand.

"We can practice with the katanas again," Hinata continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"Oh! Um, sure! Sounds great! I'll ask my parents!" _A sleepover? Oboro...there?_ His heart was racing just thinking about it. Not in a wrong way.

 _Gods...they_ have _to say yes._

He spent the rest of the week looking forward to it.

* * *

 **(insert lenny face here)**

 **Nah. He didn't mean it in a wrong way. I promise, none of that stuff here.**

 **I may have to wait to upload the next chapter on Monday, I got stuff to do tomorrow. I hope you don't mind.**

 **Also, thank you to the DB for the idea of T/TT. Credits to Laty Sapph Flamey and others.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well here's chapter 4. I had time after coming back so, here you go!**

* * *

Friday was, a, well, _interesting_ day for Takumi, to put it mildly.

It all started at lunch.

With _Leo._

"Oi! Takumi!"

Takumi sighed and steeled himself for the impending annoyance. He picked up his lunch tray and started off towards where Hinata was sitting.

"Hey! I wanted to talk to you about something!"

Takumi rolled his eyes and turned. "What do you want?" he demanded.

Leo gave him a shrewd look. "So, I hear you've got a crush on someone…"

 _Crush…?_

"..."

"..."

"HINATA I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Unfortunately Hinata saw him running and sped off as fast as he could, using the hurried excuse of "football practice" to get away.

Leo didn't help either.

"Wait, Takumi! Is it true?"

Takumi gritted his teeth. _One day. That's all it took._ "Maybe," he replied, trying to get Leo off his trail.

"Oh! So it _is_ then!" Leo cheered in elation. "So who's the girl?"

When Takumi didn't answer, Leo continued. "Well, I shouldn't be too narrow. Is it a guy?"

"I'm not gay. Leave me alone."

Leo gasped in mock hurt. "Takumi, we're friends right? I'm only trying to help you!"

"Lord Leo!"

Takumi was thankfully spared the option of answering in the form of a distraction. A guy who looked older than them with longish, gray hair sauntered up to Leo. "We are here to do your bidding."

 _Servants, huh?_ "Wow, Leo, you have servants? I'm almost impressed." Takumi whistled.

"Niles isn't -" Leo objected, but was interrupted by Niles again. Takumi noticed he was wearing an eyepatch. "Oh, who's this? You didn't tell me you had cute boy friends, Lord."

"How many times have I told you, don't call me Lord!" Leo shouted, sounding exasperated. Takumi was taken aback, but decided to ignore it.

"LORD LEO!"

A new voice came in from behind them. Leo facepalmed.

"I GOT MY OWAIN TO LEVEL 30!" A boy in their grade who Takumi had seen before but never really thought much of ran up to Leo, clutching a gold-coloured DS.

"Odin! First of all, don't call me Lord. Second of all," Leo paused, glancing at his handheld, "why are you playing those JRPGs again? You know if you get caught, they'll take it."

"I know! But this one's different," Odin whined. "It's called Fire Emblem Awakening, it's super fun and -"

"I know what it's called!" Leo practically roared.

"Of course you do milord," Niles appeared out of nowhere again. "You play it too."

"..."

"Leo you have such interesting friends," Takumi smirked.

"..."

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS HERE?"

"Sorry, Lord, if you want us to leave, we'll leave!" Odin scrambled away, joining a girl with burgundy hair and a guy with grey hair. _Selena and Laslow._ He didn't know where the names came from. Maybe...drama class? Art? He didn't remember now.

"Argh…" Leo rubbed his forehead. "Why do I even put up with them?"

Takumi was about to make a cunning retort when Hinata made his timely appearance. "Hey guys," he nodded to Leo.

"...aren't you supposed to be at football practice?"

Hinata rubbed his arm sheepishly. "Well, you looked angry so…"

Takumi sighed. With all this commotion, he probably wouldn't be able to eat lunch today. He set down his tray and sat down as Hinata set down next to him. Leo infuriatingly deemed it okay for him to sit on Takumi's other side.

"So, tell me more about your crush…" Leo asked snidely.

"Let's not talk about that," came Takumi's icy reply.

Hinata, sensing a fight nearing, tried to hastily change the subject. "Ohey! Didn't Reina tell us to recruit more people?"

 _Oh no, anyone but him._ But it was too late. "Recruit for what?" Leo asked, interested.

"All you need to do is help watch children and do...various other things related to that," Hinata explained. "It's after school until six, until the end of next week." That was a painful reminder the business was closing soon, but Takumi tried not to let it show.

"Count me in." The damage was done. Takumi groaned and banged his head on the table three times. They weren't even through lunch yet, and he could already tell it was going to be a long day.

* * *

After school came quicker than he expected. And, unfortunately, so did Leo.

"Great work Takumi!" Reina congratulated him. "One more person to help! Hinata said he couldn't make it today, something about football, so glad you could bring someone else." He couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. He went with not.

Reina gave a much-needed break to Takumi by taking aside Leo for a few precious moments and de-briefing him on what he was needed for.

"Who's that?" It was Oboro, except this time she was carrying what looked like knitting needles.

"Oh, just a friend - I mean, guy from school," he dismissed, wincing at his use of the word "friend". "Are those knitting needles?" he asked, pointing to the long objects in her hands.

She held them up. "They sure are, along with tailoring, I can sew, shopkeep, and knit! All necessary skills for my dream job."

"Sounds amazing!" Takumi marvelled, really meaning it.

She tilted her head, looking confused and furrowing her eyebrows. "Hmm…"

"What is it?" Takumi inquired.

"Well…Hinata said that you're not one to give out liberal praise like that…" her gaze softened. "So I guess I must be a really lucky girl."

 _They talk about me?_ He decided to store that information for later. "I'm not like that!" he objected.

She laughed. "Just kidding, Taki, I know you're not really like that."

 _Taki._ It gave him the chills just to hear her say his name like that. When he said nothing, she frowned. "He also said that saying that would annoy you. Guess he was wrong."

They shared a small laugh.

Oboro started to knit as their initial laughter died down. Takumi noticed hazily that Leo didn't come out of Reina's office, maybe he was Hinata's replacement for today. Meanwhile, he was too engrossed in watching Oboro knit. _Click-click-click-click._ Her hands moved so quickly while her end product was looking clearer and clearer as the seconds passed. He knew he should be paying attention to what he was _supposed_ to be doing, but he couldn't tear his vision away.

"Hey...Takumi?" He looked up. The bluenette had a faint rosy blush on her cheeks. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while…"

He pulled back, sitting upright. "Sure, what is it?" he replied casually, although he could feel his heartbeat speed up and his cheeks heat up a tiny bit. No more than that.

"I want to make you an outfit!" she burst out. Takumi was mildly surprised, and a bit disappointed it wasn't _something_ else. He wasn't going to let himself rain on her parade though.

"I appreciate the thought, but can I ask why?"

"Sure, but I don't know why I even asked you. I would've done it even if you'd said no!" She laughed to herself. "It's just a thing I do. You'll have to live with it. Here, if you want a sample, try out this scarf!" She did a complicated sort of wave with her needles and the now-shapen scarf came off, fully tied. She folded it up and handed it to him. He accepted it reluctantly.

"Thanks, Oboro. Are you sure, though? I mean, you just spent a lot of time making this," he cautioned.

"I'll just make another one if I want to," she dismissed with a wave of her hand.

He pressed the scarf to his face. It was simple, just a solid gray. It smelled of lilacs, just like her. Suddenly he felt reckless. Throwing caution to the wind, he scooted over, threw a hand over her shoulder and gave her a one-sided hug. "Thanks!"

"Hey!" Reina barked, her head appearing from behind the door frame. "No snuggling! Watch the children!" Takumi and Oboro jumped apart. Not that they _had_ been snuggling. Nope. Not at all. It was just a hug. Simple enough.

"Oh. Er, sorry," he muttered. He remembered when they first met, he pretty much mirrored her actions from their handshake.

"It's fine," Oboro gave her trademark smile. "It was...warm. I kind of...liked it."

 _She - liked!_ His heart soared. He opened his mouth to say something, but was very _rudely_ interrupted by…

 _Dee-_

It didn't even get through the first ring. He made a mental note never to wear that watch again (okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. He wore it again the next day). As if on cue, the same man from a few days ago walked in. He was probably related to Leo, as Takumi assumed using his super-developed sense of deduction.

"Xander?" Leo came out of Reina's office, choosing to ignore Takumi.

"Time to go, Elise, Leo," Xander said, taking the girl whom Sakura had been playing with earlier by the hand. _Great, another connection to that dastard._

"Bye, Takumi," Leo called as he passed the two. He joined Xander and Elise as they walked out. _He's being unusually nice to me now._

"Are you going now?" Oboro asked.

He nodded regretfully. "C'mon Sakura, let's go."

"Takumi, wait." He turned back to Oboro, who was pointing towards the front window. There was Hinata, skidding around the corner and almost sliding into Leo & Co. Takumi saw his best friend utter an apology before calmly walking into the building like nothing happened. He had the urge to start laughing uncontrollably, but her knew it would piss off Reina, so he wisely refrained.

"Hey, Takumi! Oboro!" he greeted. "Are you leaving now, Takumi? Because if you are, then I thought we could walk together. All three of us, you know?"

"I guess so," Takumi shrugged. "Just gotta escort Sakura to her royal carriage."

When that was all done and taken care of, he joined Hinata and Oboro on their usual path home. "Great!" Hinata cheered. "I haven't seen you in, like, two hours and fifty-five minutes!"

Takumi laughed. Hinata never failed to cheer him up.

The three kept up their banter all the way until the park, Hinata asking how things going and Oboro asking about his crush. He didn't say, of course but Takumi had a nagging suspicion that Hinata had done more than play football.

As they neared the park close to Takumi's house, he spotted two figures on the bench.

"Takumi...isn't that your brother?" Hinata asked slowly.

He squinted. "Yeah, it does look like...him…with a gir...l…"

Their talk faded into silence as they realized what was happening.

Ryoma.

Kagero?

 _Kissing?_

This was going to be an interesting dinner.

* * *

 **The Friday From Hell part two is coming tomorrow. I'm going to have so much fun writing it...**


	5. Chapter 4 and a half, sorta

**Sorry for such a short chapter, needed to get this out of the way though.**

* * *

The unbelievable image still burned into the three's minds, they decided to leave before they were noticed and other actions taken.

Takumi was just washing his hands when Ryoma came in, a trace of redness on his cheeks. Takumi hid a grin. _Just a few more minutes._

Everyone sat down for dinner again. Takumi could barely hide his excitement. "Everyone, I have something to say," he announced, standing up.

"This ought to be interesting," Hinoka joked, nudging Ryoma.

"Shhh, be respectful," Mikoto put a finger to her lips and nodded at Takumi. "Carry on, dear."

"Okay so," he took a deep breath. _Say it slowly, Takumi. Let them understand._ "I saw Ryoma kissing Kagero in the park!" he rushed, getting it all in one breath.

"..."

"..."

"..."

All hell broke loose all at once.

Mikoto squealed and hugged Ryoma, Sumeragi slapped him on the back, chortling, Hinoka laughing, saying "About time, big bro" and secretly grabbing her phone to probably post it on all the social medias she had, Ryoma flushing a deep purple, speechless, while Sakura just sat looking confused.

"Guess what, Sakura? Oniichan -" he pointed to Ryoma "- has a girlfriend!"

"Ohhhh!" Sakura jumped, excited. "Are you going to marry her, oniichan?"

Everyone laughed while Ryoma stuttered. "Um. No. Maybe?"

"Wait." Mikoto frowned. "Kagero? Isn't that your science partner?"

"She's the one that came over last Tuesday," Hinoka added helpfully.

Mikoto's eyes widened. "Oh, her!" She went back to smiling. "I knew you two would be perfect the moment I laid eyes on you together!"

 _I have a mother that ships her children._ He glanced at Hinoka, who was giving her mother a weird look. _She must be thinking the same too._

What happened next NO ONE would have seen coming.

Ryoma, tired from all the attention he was getting, tried to change the subject.

"Hinoka has a boyfriend!" he blurted out desperately.

Now _this_ was news to Takumi, especially when Hinoka turned scarlet and said "What? Th-that's not true!"

Ryoma laughed. "Well then why were you cuddling with Subaki, Mr. Perfection the other day?"

Hinoka sputtered. "Th-that's impossible! You must have seen someone else - that wasn't me!"

Ryoma pulled out his phone. Mikoto clucked disapprovingly - phones did not belong at the dinner table. After scrolling through something, Ryoma held it out and waved it around so everyone could see. "Here, I nabbed a picture as well!"

Hinoka grabbed the device and peered at it. She immediately looked away and Sumeragi took it next.

"It looks like our two children are finally growing up!" he roared. He simultaneously slapped both on the back, making Hinoka cough and Ryoma flinch.

"Wait - that's not all!" Hinoka cried. She turned to Takumi, all hints of redness gone, replaced by a manic gleam in her eyes.

 _Oh no._ A smirk appeared on her face. _Here it comes._ "Takumi," she pointed dramatically, "has a crush!"

At this, Mikoto squealed, clapped her hands and left the room, shouting, "This is too much for me to handle! I need to go contemplate life now."

"Looks like you need a back slap too!" His father rumbled. Takumi nimbly dodged it, pink in the face.

"So who is it?" Ryoma was unusually interested. Hinoka pricked her ears.

"Like I'd tell you," Takumi scoffed. "I'm going out for a walk."

He left, leaving the four at the table to guess.

He had admitted to it though.

It was the scariest dinner he had ever been present at so far.

* * *

 **So now everyone knows.**

 **...**

 **Next chapter coming soon!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey, I'm probably going to start uploading a lot slower now. I need to thank Empress (again) for helping me get back on track after last chapter. Anyways here's the next one. The chapter after this will probably be a continuation of this scene.**

* * *

Saturday rolled around as soon as the Friday from Hell, as Takumi had taken to calling it, ended. The incident was still fresh in everyone's minds and the three older siblings were avoiding each other.

Takumi spent most of his day outside, whether it be playing basketball with Kaden or just walking around with Leo. Yes, Leo. Leo had become considerably nicer to him ever since the unspeakable day. His mind was boggled, but he decided to go with it.

Finally dinner came. Takumi, Hinoka and Ryoma were trying not to look at each other, Sakura was happily eating, Mikoto had a great big smile on her face, and Sumeragi watched it all.

Takumi was the first to finish. "I'm going to go pack now," he told them, still chewing his last bite.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, and about that," his mother frowned, "I think Hinoka should drive you. It's already after six and you never know what could be lurking out there…"

"Mom!" Takumi and Hinoka both sighed, exasperated. "It's only a five-minute walk," Takumi added.

"I know, I know, just...it will make me feel better, okay?"

"Fine." Takumi left, still grumbling under his breath.

* * *

Hinata stood outside his house. He had it all set up - two bows and a few blunt arrows leaning against the strip of grass in the middle of their and their neighbor's house. A target resided at the end of the strip, near their backyards.

A battered car turned the bend at the end of their street. Oboro came out of the house, picking up a bow. "What's this for?"

"We always have a competition, a tournament, if you will. It's a competition of bow work. He always wins," Hinata complained, "but it's always fun shooting against him."

Oboro twirled it around, running her hands down its wooden frame. She raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you get these?"

"Never mind that," he said with a flap of his hand. "Anyways, isn't that Hinoka's car?" he pointed at the Honda that had just pulled up on the curb. The cousins waited for Takumi to get out, but the door didn't open.

"What's happening?" Oboro asked, clearly confused. Hinata cupped his eyes. That was definitely Hinoka, and Takumi. Why wasn't he getting out?

"Let me out!"

Takumi jiggled the door handle, but his efforts were futile. He unlocked it but she locked it again with unnatural speed. There was a reason she always got first in the school races.

He glared at her. "What do you want?" he said furiously.

"You know what I want," she answered, willing him to pick up. _I'm getting closer!_

He let out a breath. "Is this about…?"

"Of course it is. So who is it?" she immediately asked, pleased he had caught on so quickly.

He turned his head. "Well _I'm not telling you._ Now let me out!"

She shook her head. "Not until I know. And by that, I mean the entire story."

"No way!"

Hinoka couldn't help notice that his eyes kept straying towards the girl next to Hinata. She was twirling a wooden bow in her hands. She saw a hint of a blush appear on her sibling's cheeks...suddenly the realization dawned on her. She wouldn't pass up the chance to have some fun with him, though. Not for the world.

She adopted the "evil sister" look. A manic gleam in her eye, just like the last night. "If you don't tell me…" she paused for good measure, enjoying the look of terror beginning to cross her brother's face. "I'll tell mother that it's that girl over there, since you keep _eyeing_ her like that. And," she laughed at her brother's horrified expression, "I might add in a few, oh, _details_ of my own."

This was the most fun she'd had in weeks. Other than being with Subaki. But that was a different story.

"Alright! Okay!" _Yes! He cracked._ "You're...right." Each word came out slowly, like he was saying it through gritted teeth. Which he probably was. She almost felt sorry for him, but dismissed it quickly. _This is revenge for yesterday._

"Her name is Oboro." She nodded, encouraging him to open up more. _We're so far! He can't back out now._

He took a deep breath. "She's Hinata's cousin, I met her at Sakura's after school program." _Ah! So this is why he's been so eager to go instead of Ryoma!_

"What happened to spark it?" she prompted. It was like a psychologist's job, maybe she would apply for a course later.

"I...don't know," he answered. "It just...happened." She could tell he was being truthful. Maybe it was enough for today.

 _Click_. She unlocked the door. He opened it wordlessly. "Wait, Takumi," she called out softly. He turned back. "Your secret's safe with me." He nodded and left, slamming the door. She saw him raise his hand in greeting. Hinata ran down and took his stuff. Oboro came down, still spinning the yumi. Takumi turned back one last time. She could see a smile on his lips. She smiled back and gunned the engine in victory.

 _I finally got Takumi to confide in me. After all, this is what big sisters are for, aren't they?_

* * *

 **6:30, Archery Practice**

 _What a nightmare._ Now his family knew, the entire school probably knew, could it get any worse? At least now he could just lay low and enjoy the time he had with his best friend and -

 _Love interest._

 _Oh my gods._ Spending a night with his two most favourite people? (Again, not in the wrong sense.) He smiled and looked over his shoulder. He saw his redhead sister smile back and drive away. He knew she wouldn't tell, she kept her promises.

"Let me take your stuff Takumi!" Hinata rushed down and grabbed the bag Takumi was clutching. "I'll take it to my - our room! Be back in a jiffy!" he disappeared inside the house.

"It took him three hundred jiffies to say that," Takumi noted. Oboro laughed. Takumi felt a rush of happiness blossom in his chest. This was what he wanted - just to talk, laugh, be comfortable with her. (#RelationshipGoals)

He grabbed the other bow. It was lighter than what he was used to - Oboro was holding the one he usually used, but he didn't mind. The next time he used, it would just be more special to him.

"Do you know how to use one? A bow, I mean?" he asked her. He was eager to show off his skills in archery to her - he didn't go to after-school archery classes for nothing.

"No," she replied. "I think I'm better off sticking with, say, needles," she suggested.

"Oh," he said, disappointed. It vanished quickly enough, though, when a new idea came to him. "Do you want me to…" he paused shyly, totally unlike him, though when it came to dealing with Oboro, he was a different story. "Teach you?"

"How come you offer to teach _her_ , but all these years you've known me you've never offered to teach me?" Hinata hollered, coming out of the house with an apple in his hand.

"Because…" Takumi frantically searched for a good excuse, other than _I like her_. Luckily for him, though, Hinata chose that moment to interrupt his thinking.

"Here, Takumi!" He held up the apple with a playful look in his eyes. He shook it and Takumi understood immediately. He nocked an arrow and prepared to let fly, all earlier discomfort gone in the wind.

"What's goin -" Oboro began. She never finished the sentence.

Hinata launched the apple into the air like he would throw a football. A good, say, fifteen feet straight up into the air. Takumi grinned. This was the time to show off his skills.

 _Aim...steady...fire!_ Takumi released the arrow, firing straight into the apple.

 _Psht._ The apple exploded as the arrow sliced straight through its core.

"Wow!" Oboro said in awe. "You're really something, Takumi. Could you really teach me archery?"

 _Anything for you,_ he wanted to say, but he knew that would probably just put her off. "Sure," he consented nonchalantly, trying to hide his excitement. "When do you want to get started?"

"It'll have to be later," Hinata cut off Oboro who was opening her mouth to speak. "I want to verse Takumi first, see how much better he is."

" _To verse_ is incorrect," Oboro stated matter-of-factly. "You should say, _play against_ or _compete with_ -"

"Yeah yeah," Hinata waved his hand. Oboro rolled her eyes and Takumi found himself chuckling.

"So, you ready to destroy me?" Hinata challenged, taking his spot next to Takumi, all the way across was their target. "First one to get three bulls-eyes in a row wins!"

"It's not much of a challenge," Takumi mocked, "but I'll take it."

"Alright then," Hinata replied good-naturedly, handing Takumi a blunted arrow, still sharp enough to embed itself in the soft wood. "You can go first then."

Takumi nocked his arrow again, feeling the familiar weight of the tensed bow string on his fingers.

Aim, and...release!

 _Twang._

 _Bullseye._

He stepped back, acutely conscious of Oboro's awed expression. Hinata was faking one of confidence. "I can totally top that, not problem!" he joked.

But with his crush watching?

There was _no way_ he was going to lose.

* * *

 **Please don't hesitate to give criticism! (constructively of course.) I need all the help I can get. Thank you again!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Here you go, long chapter! Anyways let me know what you think of Setsuna's personality, if it needs some changes or not. Other than that enjoy!**

* * *

 _Warning: This chapter contains one swear word. Proceed with caution._

 **7:00, This is not going to end well**

"And...three." He released the arrow. It hit its mark, like he knew it would. Right on the target's red center.

"Another win," Takumi gloated.

"Why did I expect anything different?" Hinata groaned, dropping his bow.

"Don't get down, not many people can beat me in archery," Takumi reassured, patting him on the back. "Only Setsuna even comes close."

"You said my name, Takumi?"

That dreamy voice. He would recognize it anywhere. (I mean dreamy as in the voice sounded like it was in a dream, not like it was desirable, etc.)

"Setsuna!?" Takumi spun around. Sure enough, the absentminded turquoise-haired female was standing right behind them. He quickly stood up.

"Speak of the devil! Whatcha doing here?" Takumi exclaimed.

"Were you doing archery?" Setsuna continued on in her blissfully ignorant state. She picked up the bow that Hinata dropped. "Why aren't you at archery practice anymore, Takumi?" She picked up an arrow and shot it, missing the center by barely an inch.

"Um, is she -" Oboro started confusedly, pointing at Setsuna and at the target.

"That's Setsuna. She's kind of…" Takumi searched for the right word to describe the archer.

Setsuna was a lot of things. Ignorant, unaware, absentminded...even strange, to an extent. She had no sense of sarcasm and took everything literally, but was not fazed at all by insults. In fact, sometimes Takumi wondered if she even knew what being _mean_ was. Perhaps that was why she was bullied so much. He didn't know what Hinoka _saw_ in her.

"Oblivious?" Hinata suggested helpfully.

"Sometimes it can seem like her head is in the clouds," Takumi finally finished. "You'll grow used to it." _Just like we have._ He kind of found it endearing, her personality, but never in _that_ way. Those feelings were reserved for someone else.

"O-okay then," Oboro said, probably surprised at all the different adjectives they gave her.

They stood around in silence for a minute while Setsuna happily continued shooting. Finally, Hinata broke the still air.

"Setsuna, it's been nice and all, but we should probably be going in. It's getting dark -" Takumi checked his watch, only seven o'clock, but he wasn't going to object - "so you should probably go back to your house now."

"Okay!" she chirped, handing the bow back to Hinata. "It's been nice seeing you...Hinata, Takumi, and Takumi's girlfriend…" she ambled off, calling out "see you on Monday Takumi!"

 _Damnit! Why does everyone think that!?_ Takumi thought in outrage. He felt blood rise to his face, Oboro's was turning cherry-coloured as well. Hinata raised one of his eyebrows and gave a knowing smile. "Takumi...is there something you're not telling me?" he inquired with a wave a his eyebrows.

"Of course not!" he snapped. Oboro nodded vigorously in agreement. "Can we go inside now?"

"Okay, okay, no need to be so pushy," Hinata raised his arms in submission. "Just...let me clean up first. _Then_ we can get the party started."

 **7:15, Semi-illegal activities (wait, does getting drunk without drinking alcoholic beverages count?)**

The inside of the stereotypically modern Asian house was a drastic change compared to the heated atmosphere of the outside world. It was only seven in the evening yet it was still around 25 degrees, hot enough to produce sweat and just over the point where it got uncomfortable. It was a huge relief, as a result, when Takumi stepped into the cooled air inside.

"So, first on the list, you should see where we'll be sleeping." Hinata rubbed his hands together, kicking off his sandals. They lay haphazardly on the floor. Takumi, more carefully, took off his shoes and arranged them neatly next to the wall. Oboro followed suit soon after.

His best friend was already halfway up the hardwood stairs, making thumping noises as he banged noisily on the boards. "Hurry up!"

Takumi only sighed. "Why do you have to rush? We have all night!"

By then Hinata had reached the top and was grinning with excitement. "I have something special planned!"

Takumi and Oboro exchanged glances. Whenever Hinata had something "special" planned…

...let's just say it was _not_ likely to end well.

"...Hinata are you sure this is exactly safe? I mean, won't your parents...investigate?"

"Oh, they're out for the night," Hinata flicked his hand indifferently.

Which only reinforced Takumi's opinion.

"Don't get your tail all twisted up just yet," Oboro reassured as she climbed past him. "You never know."

"Thanks." he managed a smile but couldn't help dreading what lay ahead.

"So we're sleeping in my room," Hinata told Takumi.

He paled. "All of us...all _three_ of us?"

"Well…" he pondered for a moment, then shrugged. "Only if she wants to." They both looked at Oboro, who shook her head. "No way am I sleeping in your room, Hinata. It's way too messy for my liking."

 _Phew. For a second I thought she was going to say yes…_

Hinata opened the door and immediately shut it. "Change of plans, we're sleeping in Oboro's room," he hastily said.

"Why? Is it too messy even for your liking?" Oboro teased. "And now you have to - gasp! - sleep in a _girl's_ room?"

"If I have to."

Takumi looked on, bemused but also terrified. He was to sleep in the same room as his _crush!?_ (again no _stuff_ here.)

The bluenette pushed open her door and strode inside. Hinata followed her in. Takumi hesitated, right on its threshold. Hinata looked back and saw him stopping. "Oh stop dawdling Takumi. It's only my cousin's room." He grabbed his shirt and pulled him in.

 _He's right. She's Hinata's cousin. Juuuust Hinata's cousin. Gotta stop freaking out._

"So!" Hinata stood in the middle of the room, Oboro sat on her bed, and Takumi hung near the door, studying the entire thing. The walls were a light azure blue, an unusual choice of colour. There were faint outlines of lilies patterning all four walls, interrupted only by a window and another door, leading to the washroom, Takumi assumed. It was simple. He liked it.

"Oboro can sleep on her bed and we'll sleep on the floor. I have two extra sleeping bags and it's carpet so it won't be too uncomfortable," Hinata decided on the spot. Takumi muttered his agreement, Oboro only nodded.

"Now that _that's_ out of the way, we can start playing," Hinata declared.

"What? Play what?" Oboro interjected. Takumi had a sinking feeling that he already knew what was coming. A deadly game of -

"Truth, double truth, or dare," Hinata proclaimed. "We can continue on where we left off."

 _Called it._

"But I thought -" Oboro started. She closed her mouth. "Okay then."

"So who wants to go first?"

Takumi's hand shot up. He wanted revenge.

"Okay. Go one then." Hinata braced himself. Takumi smirked. Hinata, truth, double or dare?"

He sighed. "I guess I owe it to you, double truth then."

Just what he needed. "Who is your crush?"

"I don't have one."

Silence met his unexpected answer. "What...cuz, what happened to a few a days ago?" Oboro's gaze turned sympathetic. "Did she start liking someone else?"

"No, she's my girlfriend now."

The noise that met _this_ answer probably could've woken up his neighbours.

"OHMYGOSH CUZ-"

"Wow, Hinata!" Takumi was impressed. "So soon? So she likes you back, eh?"

"WHO IS IT!?" Oboro leapt up and grabbed a fistful of his shirt.

"Hey, hey, next question," Hinata laughed.

"But you didn't answer my question," Takumi objected. "I asked _who_ it was -"

"Yeah but that was for my crush," Hinata reminded him. "She's my girlfriend so that doesn't count."

"...fair enough." He knew what he was going to ask next time.

"My turn!" Hinata clapped his hands once gleefully. "Takumi, what do you say?"

Time to consider his choices. Truth - probably something embarrassing. Double truth - who his crush was. And dare - probably something to embarrass himself. Although...Hinata _had_ chosen double truth, and Takumi kind of wanted to get it off his chest. He knew, though, if he told his best friend, Hinata wouldn't divulge it to anyone. Especially not Oboro.

"Double truth," Takumi replied confidently. Hinata whistled while Oboro looked stunned. "You really want to do that?"

Takumi nodded. Oboro slowly shook her head. "You're dooming yourself to your own fate," she half-joked. She sounded serious though.

"You know what's coming, don't you…" Takumi gulped and nodded. "Okay, then. So. _Who is it?_ "

Hinata looked at him expectantly while Oboro looked elsewhere. There was a hint of resignation in her expression which Takumi did not see, he was too busy panicking. _I have to say it in front of Oboro!?_

Hinata noticed this, thankfully. "You can just whisper it to me," he suggested, pointing to his ear. "If you don't want to tell Oboro."

Oboro shot to her feet. "That's not fair, I want to know too!" She immediately covered her mouth.

"Oh, so I see how it is!" Hinata's grin was wider than any other time Takumi had ever seen it. "Do you…" he dropped his voice. "Have any intere-"

"Fine!" she threw up her hands. "Just...go in the corner." She turned away from them. Takumi felt a glimmer of hope. _Could it be...Is she…?_

He immediately shot it down. _There's no way. She's just interested in who I like._

"So who is it?" Hinata whispered, hints of a chuckle still evident in his voice.

"Do you have to ask?" Takumi hissed back.

"So I'm right!" Hinata did a celebratory fist pump. "I knew it! Since first contact, that handshake, I knew you liked her!"

"So...you're fine with it?" Takumi asked with uncertainty. "Since she's your cousin and all."

"Who cares? I ship it wholeheartedly!" Hinata told him.

 _So I have a mother and a best friend who ships people...what has my life come to?_

"You guys all done with your 'boy stuff'?" Oboro called, a hint of impatience present in her voice.

"Yep!" Hinata nudged Takumi playfully. "He told me _everything_ I need to know." He winked. Takumi glared at him, then relaxed. His turn. Time to wreak vengeance.

"Hinata, truth, double truth, or dare?" He challenged.

"What about me?" Oboro raised her hand. "I want to be included too."

"All's fair is fair," Hinata told her.

"...what's that even supposed to mean?"

Takumi sweatdropped.

"I'll choose you next turn, is what it means," Hinata reiterated. "And dare," he added in response to Takumi.

"Time for your punishment!" Takumi pointed dramatically at Hinata, who pretended to cower in fear. "Call your girlfriend over! Now!"

"That's not half bad," Hinata praised. "Let me do it right now."

He left the room and took a total of twenty-six seconds to call her. Ten of which were spent tripping over things in his way.

"She'll be here in about forty minutes," Hinata announced.

"Why forty?" Oboro pouted. "I wanted to meet her sooner."

"She has to get ready. Or something."

 _For forty minutes?_ Takumi had always wondered what girls did that took so long to look presentable.

"My turn again? As promised, Oboro, I'll ask you."

"I guess I'll go with double truth, as that seems to be the trend," she answered somewhat reluctantly after a short thought.

Takumi stared in amazement. "Your own fate," he murmured quietly, repeating her words.

"So who do you like?" Hinata's reply was almost instantaneous.

Her hands flew to her hips. "What makes you think that I like somebody?"

"You told me this morning, cuz. You said you had a love interest." He wore an amused expression.

"Oh - that's right I did…" she stopped and slapped a hand to her face. "Why would I -" Catching sight of Hinata's visage, she punched him lightly. "I guess I did." She heaved a sigh. "Fine. But can I just tell you, like Takumi?"

 _Why doesn't she want me to know?_ Takumi's thoughts went back to earlier. It was too cliche to be true. Naturally.

"WHAT -" Hinata's shout suddenly became muffled as Oboro slapped a hand over it. She gave him a look worthy of a demon. He giggled nervously and went into a whispered hurried conversation with her. Takumi sighed dejectedly. His hopes were futile, of course it wasn't that. She liked someone, she was off-limits now. The best he could do was move on and forget about it.

"So -" Hinata threw himself onto the bed laying upwards. "This little gathering suddenly became a lot more interesting," he sat up laughing.

"Promise you won't tell," Oboro begged. Never had Takumi seen her act this way - but then again, he had only known her for a week. Yet another reason against him.

Hinata only smiled serenely. "On with the game."

"I'll pick...Takumi!" she decided.

 _It doesn't matter what she asks._ "Truth," he said, trying not to let his disappointment show.

"Mind telling me who it is?" Her tone was eager.

Takumi slowly raised his head. He felt heat rise to his cheeks. _Damn! This'll become even more awkward if she knows...crap! This is bad!_

That, ladies and gentlemen, is what best friends are for.

"Confidential, cuz," Hinata swooped in, throwing a casual arm around Takumi. "He doesn't have to answer if it's only truth."

Takumi glanced up, trying to send his gratitude through that one look. _Thank you._

Hinata nodded, barely discernable. _No problem._

"Aw." He hated disappointing her, but it was for the best.

He cleared his throat. He looked at the two of them. There wasn't much he wanted to know anymore, the only thing he did was either next to impossible or was coming in about thirty minutes. "Actually, Hinata, you can have my turn." Might as well give it to someone who could use it well.

"Okay, Oboro then. What do you say?" Hinata patted Takumi on the back.

"Dare," Oboro hummed. "It's the least chosen so far. Why not have it for a change?"

"Ooh," Hinata's face darkened. "This is exactly what I've been waiting for." He ran out the door and down the stairs, reappearing moments later, panting and holding a bottle. "Drink this." He held it out to her, which she took. "I'm regretting this already -" Her eyes widened and she slapped Hinata on the cheek. "I'm not twenty, I'm not gonna drink yet!"

"Oww…" Hinata rubbed his face, which was already turning red from her imprint. "Here, let me see." He snatched it back. "Oh, I only put it in a liquor bottle. It's a special type of liquid that has the effects to make you seem drunk but it's not actually alcoholic," he explained.

She crossed her arms. "And you expect me to believe that?" Takumi was sceptical as well.

He raised his arms in self-defense. "I only bought it a few days ago, the manager told me it was safe for under-ages!"

"And exactly why would you buy something like this?" Takumi cut in. He didn't want any of them to land in trouble for this.

"In case this happened," Hinata said simply, gesturing to Oboro. "In case one of you chose dare."

 _...he really thought this out, didn't he…_ "Hinata is this the "special" thing you planned?"

"Yep."

"This is not going to end well," Takumi muttered.

"So you're sure this is safe? We won't get in any trouble?" Oboro narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Of course. It's totally safe."

Takumi actually seriously doubted that.

"Fine." She uncapped it and raised it, but Hinata stopped her. "Wait!"

She lowered it. "Having second thoughts? Conscience kicking in?"

"No," he replied readily. "You should go in the washroom. Just in case you throw up."

"Wait, what -"

"We'll give you two minutes. See you on the other side!" he said cheerfully, pushing his cousin into the washroom. She pulled the door in and locked it.

"Hinata, I hope this is _actually_ safe," Takumi said worriedly.

"It really is," he insisted seriously. "Don't worry."

 _Okay, then. We'll have to wait and see._

 **7:35, Oh-gods-why-Hinata-why-did-you-leave-me-to-this**

"Oboro?" Hinata called, pressing his mouth to the door. "It's been ten minutes since you went in there, pretty sure you finished seven minutes ago. Can you come out now?"

"O-okay." Her quieted voice sounded shaky, different. Then again, she _was_ acting drunk.

"Takumi?" Hinata turned around. "You're feeling down, aren't you?"

He shook is head in resignation. "I should just move on."

"No don't!" He frowned. Just as quickly as it came, it turned upside-down. "Don't give up hope yet!"

"What do you mean?"

Hinata drifted closer. "You know…" Hinata was right beside his ear now.

"...she likes you back."

The words sent him into a dazed stupor so he didn't notice the bathroom door unlocking. Hinata whipped around and dashed out of the room, slamming the door after him. _Click._

Takumi shook himself back to reality, still shocked. He ran to the door and jiggled the knob. Locked.

"Dammit Hinata! WHAT KIND OF DOOR LOCKS FROM THE OUTSIDE!?"

"Have fun," came the muffled reply.

"Oh I am going to kill him -"

"Takumi?"

He looked back. Oboro was standing at the entrance to the room from the bathroom, slightly swaying. "What are you doing?" she asked. _Hic._

"O-oh." He laughed nervously. "U-um, just -"

 _She likes you back._ Those fated words came back to him. "Uh, I -"

She walked closer, stumbling. Takumi ran forward to help her and -

 _Bam._

There she was.

Lying on top of him.

"Takumi…" he looked down to see her nuzzling his chest. "You're so soft."

All of a sudden, the reality of the situation came crashing down upon him…

"Ahhhh!" He yelped, pushing her off and bolting upright. "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to -"

She stared on, unfazed by his blushed stammering. She shuffled forwards slowly, Takumi backing up at the same pace. Suddenly he felt the cold wall behind his back.

 _Shit! How's this gonna end?_ He thought desperately.

 _Thump._

She was uncomfortably close, her hand was on the wall next to his head. She studied him while he braced himself for anything that would happen next.

She giggled unexpectedly. "You look funny with your hair down."

He touched it self-consciously. He usually wore it tied up but it was more comfortable sleeping with it untied. Anyone who saw it pretty much said the same thing - it looked way different.

"Alright, get up," he murmured, gently taking her hand and hoisting her up standing. He felt a jolt pass through him at contact, a rush of adrenaline go up through his body. He could do anything he wanted and she probably wouldn't remember...he shook his head, dismissing the idea. That would be an act of betrayal and dishonor, taking advantage of a befuddled friend. He had no desire to be hated.

He sat her down on her bed, taking a place next to her. She immediately fell over, leaning on his side. Her eyes drooped sleepily.

She fell sideways onto his lap. He gently stroked her hair, knowing she would remember none of this when she woke up. They stayed that way for a couple of minutes.

Her body relaxed. "Takumi…"

He tilted his head, trying to hear what she was saying. "Yes?"

"I…" her words were like whispers on the wind. "I really like you."

He felt his breath catch. He swallowed. "I really like you too."

A faint smile appeared on her lips. "Good."

They rested in silence.

He wished they could stay like this forever.

But alas, all good things must end.

A rap on the door, followed by Hinata's voice: "Takumi, I'm coming in. I'm also going to have a large gulp of water in my mouth, so don't do anything to make me laugh."

 _Click._

 _Crap. Hinata's coming in!_ Takumi snapped awake. He realized the compromising position he was in. _I have to get up -_

"So, Takumi, did you have -" Hinata looked sideways and his eyes widened. Takumi glared back.

"Pfffffffffft -"

"Don't you dare -" Takumi had time to growl before -

 _Sploosh._

"Ah!" Oboro suddenly jolted awake and sat upright. "What happened when I was - wait, why are you wet?"

Takumi had tried to shield Oboro from the worst of Hinata's spit take, which was why he was sopping wet and she only had some small dark spots on her clothes.

"Oh gods! Sorry!" Hinata choked out, coughing. "I hope you have an extra change of clothes!"

"Takumi, what was I doing?" Oboro asked abruptly.

He smiled weakly. "Oh, um, you commented on how soft I was," Oboro flushed, " said my hair looked funny," she turned a bit redder, "and fell asleep...on...my lap…" he finished quietly.

"Oh! Er, sorry," Oboro muttered. "I don't mean the part about your hair."

Takumi was in the middle of formulating a response when the doorbell rang. Hinata, who had been watching interestedly, turned his attention to the door. "That'll be her."

Takumi forgot all about the awkwardness, the revelation. "Let's go!" Oboro, mirroring his excitement, followed him down the stairs and to the front door.

"Hey! Wait up!" Hinata yelled, not too far behind. Takumi disregarded him.

"Ready?" He primed, mostly to himself. Oboro smirked. "Let's do this."

They opened the door together.

* * *

 **:o Hinata's girlfriend**

 **I bet most of you can already guess who it is.**

 **More fluff coming up!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N at the bottom.**

* * *

"Hello!"

Takumi stared her up and down. She was a bit shorter than his height, and had long, hazel hair, down to her arms. She had soft facial features. She was carrying a small handbag on her shoulder.

"Hana?" Hinata puffed, coming up behind the duo.

"She's hot," Oboro whispered to Hinata.

Hinata nodded. "It _is_ twenty five degrees, after all."

"Hinata!" The girl rushed in, throwing her arms around him. He grinned. "Guys, this is Hana, Hana, this is my cousin, Oboro," he gestured to the bluenette "and my best friend, Takumi." Takumi waved.

"Also," Hinata cleared his throat nervously. He bent down a little to whisper in her ear.

"Already?" She exclaimed. He nodded slowly. "So -"

"Shhh…" Hinata put a finger to her lips. "Remember -"

"All right, all right, I got it," she giggled. She swivelled to the two, watching bemusedly. "Wanna go upstairs? Oh, we'll have _so_ much fun!" She grabbed Hinata by the hand and led him up the creaky staircase.

"Well," Takumi decided, "she sure is…"

"Eccentric," Oboro finished for him. "But I guess if Hinata likes her, then I don't see why not."

Takumi shrugged indifferently. He clambered up the stairs, wondering what the two were talking about earlier. Knowing Hinata, it was probably something about Oboro x Takumi shipping, as that was what he had been on about the entire evening. _What kind of punishment is this?_

"Good," Hinata nodded affirmatively as Takumi and Oboro climbed into sight. "Now we can continue our little game."

"I suppose you already know the details?" Takumi said tiredly to Hana. There was only so much shipping one could take before getting fed up with it.

"Yes. Yes I do," Hana replied. She grabbed him suddenly and shook him by the shoulders. "You know how many people would _love_ to be in your position?" She shook him gently again and locked eyes with him. "Come here, Takumi. Let's talk." She took his arm and led him into Hinata's bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Come, Oboro!" Hinata led the way back to _her_ bedroom. "We need to have a chat too!"

"Uhm -" she objected hastily, but he pulled her in anyways.

"Sit down." He pointed to a chair, but she ignored him and lay, tummy facing down, on her bed. He sat on the chair himself.

Steepling his fingers above his nose like a stereotypical therapist, he began. "So we both know you have feelings for Takumi…"  
"I wouldn't call them _feelings_ , exactly," she muttered. A hint of a blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Really?" She could feel his gaze, sweeping over her and scrutinizing every small detail. "Then why'd you tell me?"

She turned onto her side, facing the wall and her back to her cousin. "Just...please. Stop." She tried to pour as much emotion into that _one_ word as possible. All the confusion she was experiencing, exasperation, even, to a small extent, frustration.

He gazed at her forlornly. Maybe he had gone a _little_ bit too far…? "I'll stop teasing, if you want me to," he asked hesitantly.

She nodded but said nothing.

He couldn't see her blinking back tears. She buried her face in her pillow, dampening the spot.

She hid her feelings well.

* * *

"So whatcha gonna do about it?"

Hana was pacing the room, stepping over the objects haphazardly strewn across the floor. Takumi leaned against the wall, crossing one leg over the other.

"Do about what?" He _knew_ what was coming, he was tired of it.

"Do I really have to tell you?" Seeing his guarded expression, she relented. "You like her, she likes you. It's freaking _mutual_ , for gods' sake!" She stopped right in front of him and held his gaze. He felt like she was _looking into his soul_ , the level of intensity she was giving off.

"Make a move, Takumi." She broke eye contact and went back to pacing.

Something snapped inside of him. All this tension, building up, only fed by the fuel Hana and Hinata were pushing in.

"I - I…" He paused, ready to give an angry retort, but just as quickly as it had appeared, his rage melted away. He sat down abruptly, sliding his back down the wall, as the craziness of the situation flowed into him, all at once.

Here we was: being given therapeutic support on the girl he liked, who just so _happened_ to return his affections, but she didn't know about his feelings, and being told to _make a fudging move!_ when he's only known her a week, and doesn't even know where he wants to go with this yet! Now he's discussing his love life (willingly, no less) with a girl he literally _just_ met, ten minutes - maybe even less! - ago.

He didn't know what to feel...resentment...maybe even a touch of sadness? Obviously confusion.

Hana sat down next to him. Her hand rested on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she sighed. "It's just so painful to see, _this,_ " she stressed, "and not do anything about it." She offered an apologetic smile. "I guess I'm a matchmaker."

"It's...fine…" he mumbled. Truthfully, he really _could_ use the help from someone like her... he was so unknowledgeable and unexperienced in this type of matter.

"Then...let's take this slow, hey?"

"O-okay."

"Let's start…" she hummed, rubbing her hands together. "Let's start at the top. So...you definitely have _feelings_ for her, yeah?"

He liked the pace they were going at...not too fast, easygoing, not too pressuring. _Definitely._ He remembered their first encounter, shaking hands. He used to find it extremely disbelievable that two people could fall in love at first sight (or at least in that margin), but after having experienced it, he had no doubts. "Yeah...I guess…"

She shook her head. "No, Takumi," she scolded, "you have to be _sure._ This is not something where you can waver between _yes_ or _no_. So let me ask again: do you like her?"

"...yes. I do." He was surprised that his voice didn't shake, he was feeling unusually emotional (not that he'd ever _tell_ anyone).

"Good!" She gave him a kind smile. "You're progressing already."

"Now," she continued, "what are your thoughts on...starting a relationship?" He was glad she was being serious about it. If she had put emphasis, or even tried to _imply_ something, he would be gone, out the door, in an actual jiffy.

He cleared his throat, trying to gather his regards on the topic. "I...I've known her for about a week." _Damn, why does feel so much like talking with Hinoka?_ "I'd like to get to know her better...become closer...before anything happens. I don't want to rush into this." The words spilled out quite easily, he realized he had been _needing_ this. Someone to talk to without being judged...Hinoka could have done this job, easily, or even Hinata, or Ryoma...they were just too embarrassing. He never thought it would come in the form of his best friend's girlfriend.

"That sounds like a good reason," she remarked cheerily. "Though just remember…" she took on a more somber, serious tone as she went on. "Live...in the moment. You have the perfect love life -" she waggled a finger at his attempt to protest - "ah - ah, you know it's true! - so don't waste it." Serious, teasing, understanding - she really _was_ a therapist.

"Not many people find love, Takumi…" she poked him in the shoulder, causing him to glare at her. "You're a very lucky guy."

With that, she rose to her feet, clutching the wall for support. "C'mon, they must be missing us." She swung open the door, leaving without another glance.

He stayed down for a moment longer. _At least I sorted out...my feelings._ He was less confused now, and ready to enjoy the night with his friends using all he had.

* * *

 **Sorry for the wait. Just got extremely hard to write personalities, now it's back.**

 **Profound realization of the day: Oboro + Takumi = Otaku! (ship name)**

 **Constructive criticism welcomed.**


	9. Chapter 8

"We're baaaack!" Hana danced into the room, singing. Takumi came in after her, a hair tie in his hands, with a less of an entrance and a faint pink dusting his cheeks.

Hinata didn't wonder, Hinata knew everything.

Some might have called it an invasion of privacy, listening through the wall while feigning sitting on a chair, but he called it being in the know. After all, it was his cousin and best friend involved, he felt he had a right to be with them on this.

"What did you talk about?" an unusually sullen Oboro asked from her spot on the bed.

To lie or not to lie? Hinata wondered. Takumi was looking a tad uncomfortable already. Hinata locked eyes with Hana, who was linking arms with him.

We need to intervene.

"I heard them through the open window, the one in the other room was open as well," he stated clearly. "They were talking about how we met." Out of the corner of his eye he say Takumi stiffen, then relax. The archer took his place on the floor, leaning against the bed.

Oboro gently rested her chin onto a propped-up hand. "Then why'd you have to go into the other room to talk about it?"

This is where you come in, Hana, he blindly hoped. It was always the follow-up questions that threw him off track so much.

"It's just that...some of the details...might be a bit too racy…" Hana added while breathing in laughs.

Two things happened then - Takumi, surprisingly, did not blush, while saying in outrage, "they were not racy," even more surprisingly, it was Hinata who turned red. Hana wasn't entirely off...their first encounter might not have been like that, but after they became a couple…

Oboro, however, was taken in earnest. "Oh, tell me! Please!" Her former sullenness was gone, like an ant in a shadow.

"Uh…" This conversation has really spiraled out of control…

"Hold up…" She raised a hand and turned her head slightly. "Have you two ever…" A ghost of an embarrassed smile appeared on her lips. "...made out?"

That was too much. Hinata broke out into a fit of coughing, some of it natural, most of it forced. Takumi looked alarmed, as if the very prospect of partaking in such an intimate activity was grounds for arrest.

Hana was enjoying herself. She hugged Hinata's arm a little closer to her stomach and laughed her best girly giggle. "That's for us to know, and for you to -"

"Don't say 'find out', please. If I have to watch you two - er - make out," Takumi shuddered a bit, whether out of disgust, or fear, Hinata couldn't tell, "I will, will, throw up," he finished firmly.

They all shared a laugh at that, even Takumi softened when he heard Oboro's laugh.

BEET BEET BEET BEET -

"Gods!" Hana shrieked, jumping off the chair the two were sitting on, pulling Hinata off with her. Hinata promptly fell down, then dragging Hana with him.

Takumi half jumped, half slid, mashing his back against the side of the bed but also falling onto the carpeted floor at the same time. His hand flew to his watch out of instinct, but his watch wasn't that loud, he knew for a fact.

"Turn that damn alarm off!" Hinata yelled over the incessant beeping. "Why did you turn that thing back on?"

Takumi shot Oboro a look of incredulity. "You wake up to this on mornings?"

"W-well I like to get up nice and early to get ready!"

"Ready for what?" He shouted back, trying to make his voice louder than that damn noise.

The repeated outbursts pounded into his head, completely eradicating every other thought. They were in an enclosed, small space, so it was able to rebound off the walls and other objects.

"Ohh...make it stop…" Hana moaned, covering her ears and lying on her stomach so her face was pressed into the carpet.

"Ha!"

Clunk.

The beeping ceased, almost creating a vacuum which sucked up all other noise. The room was utterly silent. Hinata stood over the dresser, clutching a black wire with a plug at its end.

"That solves the problem," Takumi said aloud, then winced. Was his voice really that loud?

Now that he noticed it, he could hear a faint humming from the walls - a washing machine, probably - and even crickets from the yard.

"Just, like, don't talk for five minutes," Hinata whispered. He set down the wire carefully and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. Silence engulfed the room. Takumi turned over, pressing his body against the bed and burying his face in the covers.

Smells nice…

A warm, comforting lilac scent. Hers.

Damn. He inhaled again, soaking up the fragrance.

"I sleep there, you know," Oboro mumbled, her voice muffled by cloth; apparently she was doing the same.

"S-sorry!"

"Looks like we can talk now?"

"Guess we can!"

"So tell me, us," Oboro pressured, "how you two met."

Takumi relished the way she said "us".

Hinata exchanged an amused glance with Hana. "I think we can tell them, yeah?"

"I'll start!"

* * *

 _"And...hut!"_

 _Hinata rushed forwards, then planted a foot and swerved to the right, looking back. His teammates were scattered across the field, doing pretty much the same thing. He made eye contact with the quarterback, a stronger guy named Saizo, and ran forward a bit more._

 _"Get it!"_

 _Release. The ball sailed through the air, curving a path into the azure sky. Luckily, they had the sun advantage, so it wasn't in his eyes. He danced on the spot, trying to predict where it would land, finally dashing madly to the side, slipping through the wall of enemy players. It was getting close, dangerously close to the sidelines, but if he could just catch it in time -_

 _"Got it!"_

 _"Aahh!"_

 _"Run, man, run!" yelled Saizo._

 _Yes, Hinata had caught it...but at the expense of knocking over a girl. He had barrelled into her at about three-quarters his full strength, almost throwing her aside._

 _She looked familiar, for some reason._

 _Oh, shit. It was the girl he'd set his sights on for the last few weeks. Hana, if he recalled correctly. Why was she here?_

 _"Ohmygosh!" He threw the ball aside and ran to help her up. "Are you okay?"_

 _WHAM._

 _Well...maybe she didn't need help after all._

 _"You idiot! Look where you're going!"_

 _She had gotten up and smacked him in the back of the head. Very hard._

 _At this point, two things he was thinking of - she was fine, that was good - but how strong was she to endure that amount of force and be totally fine afterwards._

 _"So you are okay!" he beamed, rubbing the back of his head. "Nice handwork, by the way!"_

 _"Sh-shut up!" She suddenly recoiled, clutching her hand. A blush was quickly spreading on her face, for what reason, Hinata had no idea. It was him who liked her, not the other way around._

 _"What? Why? All I did was ask if you were okay!" He protested, not wanting to give off a stupid image._

 _"Just go back to your game!" She huffed, stomping off._

 _"Man...girls are so weird…" he muttered, heeding her direction._

 _"Good one," Saizo greeted him, patting him on the back. Some other members of his team did the same, to his total bemusement._

 _"What? What is it? Why's everyone acting so weird!?"_

 _"You are the reason I'm losing faith in humanity," one of the receivers, Azama, called. The words didn't sting too much - he was used to Azama spouting harsh rhetoric. "She has a crush on you, idiot," he walked over and slapped Hinata on the same spot where the girl had._

 _"Her?" Now they had his attention. "No way!" He exclaimed, open-mouthed._

 _"Yes, my dear friend, Setsuna, told me," he explained, as if talking to a small child._

 _"But that doesn't explain how all of - of you know!" he said, pointing at the rest of his teammates._

 _"I told them, obviously," Azama deadpanned, rolling his eyes._

 _"Why would y-you…" He stopped, glaring at his teammates' grins. "Forget it, let's just go back to practice."_

 _"It's already four," Kaze, a player with a thinner build, but adept at sprinting, pointed out. "Practice should be over, see, Mr. Fuga's already coming back."_

 _"The boy's right, practice is over," Mr Fuga, a bald but muscular man, their coach, nodded. "I'll see you all tomorrow after school. Hinata, you'd better apologize to that girl you knocked over."_

 _"Ugh…" he groaned. Now he knew how Takumi felt, when Hinata bothered him about every little crush that he had. "Yes, coach."_

 _"Go, Hinata. She's sitting on the bleachers," Saizo directed._

 _"Wha…?" He squinted. Among the few resting on the silver steps, he could just barely make out a slim figure, hazel, long, hair, sitting next to a girl with shorter, turquoise hair. Hana and Setsuna._

 _"Well, here goes nothing…" he said under his breath._

 _"Hey! Hana!" He yelled, hoping that she wouldn't ignore him._

 _"Talk to him," he overheard Setsuna murmur. Hana harrumphed, but responded anyways._

 _"What do you want?" She said crossly._

 _"Sorry for bumping into you!"_

 _She stood up and made her way down the steps. "It's fine," she smiled graciously. "You're too weak to hurt me, anyways."_

 _"Oh, that's good. Wait, what -"_

 _"I like you, you know," she suddenly said._

 _"..."_

 _"Did I just say that?"_

 _"You were supposed to slowly break it to him…" Setsuna commented dreamily._

 _"Oh gods! Sorry!" She hid her face in her hands and turned away in embarrassment._

* * *

"And after that, I said I liked her back, and then we started going out!" Hinata finished.

"Amazing! Oh, you were so direct, Hana! I don't think I could ever be like that!" Oboro said in awe.

"It was a mistake, honestly," she giggled sheepishly. "But a good mistake."

"Takumi?" Hinata noticed he hadn't said anything throughout the entire story, quite the contrary of Oboro, whose questions and comments had punctuated the tale through and through.

Takumi didn't respond at first. He looked lost in thought, deep thought.

"Your love story is so simple and easy…" he said finally. "I don't think I could ever have anything like that."

An uncomfortable silence followed. Hinata knew he was right, that a mutual real affection during school years occurred once in a blue moon, but at the same time...he had what it took. He just wasn't reaching for it.

"Oh, look at the time!" He hurriedly said as a distraction, but ended up being really surprised by the hour. "Wait, it's already nine!?"

"Hana did go on in full detail for about half the time on how she felt the entire story," Oboro pointed out.

"I did. Guess we must be really good storytellers!" Hana cheered.

"Regal us with another then, we can pass the time until it's time to go to sleep!"

"If you want to, I guess we can," Hinata shrugged.

"What do you want to know, Takumi?" Hana asked, jolting the gray-haired boy out of his thoughts.

"Hm...how about your first date?"

"Hahh...I remember that like it was yesterday."

"It was last week, of course you remember it clearly."

They launched into a new story, all including a ton of stalkers (Setsuna and Azama, it was all them) spilled tea (Hinata's fault), and a failed kiss (also Hinata's fault).

Before long, nighttime had fallen, and regrettably, time for sleep. It was planned that they would all sleep in Oboro's room, Hana would take the bed (which was decided after a long and vicious fight between the two girls, Oboro wanted Hana to take it, while Hana adamantly refused), and the other three would occupy the floor. They had a bunch of blankets and pillows to work with.

It wasn't until about half past ten that they finally settled down, to Takumi's insistence.

"It's so early, though!" Hinata complained.

"Sleep is important for the body to grow," Takumi insisted.

"Your future boyfriend is very consistent," Hana whispered in Oboro's ear. "He's a keeper."

"H-Hana!"

"Just kidding," she stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Get to sleep, guys!" Hinata grumbled.

"Oh no, you're into this too?"

Before long, Takumi could hear snores coming from the boy beside him, and Hana's restlessness seeping away.

An hour passed. He was pretty sure he was the only one still up, even despite his attempts at falling asleep.

A sudden sound shocked him back to reality, shaking off any shreds of sleep that clung to him. He sat upright. It sounded like some sort of door closing softly, as if muffled.

The second thing he noticed was that one of the spots was empty.

Oboro's.

Now where could she be?

* * *

 **Alright, so uh, some of you may have noticed that I put Hayato in here. When he's supposed to be Sakura's playmate. Asdfgdafdd**

 **Darn me with my bad memory. I fixed it, so hopefully it'll be less cringey now. ;-;**


	10. Chapter 9

He tiptoed softly past the sleeping forms of his two friends. Hinata was fast asleep next to the bed. Hana's arm was hanging off while his was outstretched.

 _Did they fall asleep holding hands? How romantic…_

Choosing his footsteps carefully, he made his way to the door, slightly ajar. He slipped through, brushing softly against the painted wood.

Hinata's house wasn't what one could call big, but it certainly was roomy. The stairs opened up on the right to a relatively spacious landing. A large window overlooking the backyard took up residence on the opposite wall, next to the bathroom. Hinata's and Oboro's rooms were on the left side, and another room, presumably his parents', was in the back.

Takumi shuffled across the carpeted floor towards the window. At only half-moon on a cloudless summer night, it still shone considerably bright. Luminescent enough to cast shadows on whatever stood in the light's way.

He peered down into the backyard. There was a lone figure sitting on the patio, facing the grassier area. Her back was to the house, but there was no mistaking it.

Takumi hopped down the stairs as fast as he dared, but with making as little noise as possible. There were no lights on, but Hinata's house had never made him afraid of the dark. There was something vaguely comforting, familiar about the place. Heavy Asian, zen vibe? Might've been.

He slipped of the hair tie always kept on his left wrist and hastily did it up. Not as neat as he would've liked, but it would have to do. Too late, he realized he wasn't wearing anything other than a t-shirt and light sweatpants. Then again, neither was she.

Connecting the house and the backyard was a sliding protected glass, then screen door. He unlocked it gently, slowly, as to avoid alarming the girl sitting in tranquility.

"Takumi."

There was no need to turn around, he noted. He slid both doors shut behind him.

"Hey."

"Can't sleep?"

Her tone wasn't accusing, but welcoming.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

"Go ahead."

"How about you? Can't sleep either?"

Their legs hung off the raised patio. He could touch the ground, but hers swung freely.

She let out a breath. "Don't worry about me. I can deal with it by now."

"Hm."

They sat in shared silence for a while. Takumi turned his gaze towards the night sky. It was a sight he had seen many times before, but never had he shared it with her. Lucky it was cloudless today, he thought. The sky was a black canvas littered with splattered paint, magnified by hundreds upon hundreds of swirling patterns. He instinctively started searching for the constellations he knew by heart - the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, Crux, Leo (if he could find it!) - he could point them out with both hands tied behind his back (with his chin, probably).

He owed it to Hinoka for wanting to know all of the stars' names, and having to go search them all up, and watching the sky every night to show them to her, but it wasn't an experience he regretted.

He wanted so much to share it with the girl sitting beside him - but he was afraid anything he could say would ruin the feeling between them. She was welcoming enough at first, but there was just something about her this time - new walls, defenses with iron reinforcements - but it felt as if he could tear them down with nothing but a soft voice.

"Do you ever have that feeling where you just can't let go of something, but you desperately need to?"

"...that's quite specific," he commented. "Is there anything on your mind?"

He glanced at her sideways, searching her eyes. He could already see them darkening, her thoughts clouding up with sorrow.

She heaved a heavy sigh and cast her gaze to the heavens. "It's always on nights like these where I can't help but think of them."

 _So she's going to spill after all._

"Your parents?"

"...yeah."

"Do you...uh, do you want to talk about it?"

She gave him a sideways glance. "Yes, Takumi, I _would_ like to talk about it."

He met her surprising answer with silence.

"So are you going to ask me about it?"

He coughed in response. He thought she was going to...ah. "Could I?"

"Sure. Maybe we can get to know each other a bit better."

Her words were playful, but there was nothing lighthearted behind them.

 _Alright, then._

"How old were you when you lost them?" There was no way to soften the question.

"Young," was the straight-voiced answer.

 _No specification?_ He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Then...do you still remember them?"

From what he had previously observed, it was a sort of prickly topic for her. The question was a bit off the edge, but…

"With every detail..." she muttered. "I think about them every day. To honour their memory."

"Do you miss them?" he asked, thinking there was more to the story, then immediately cringed. _Stupid question, of course she does!_

"Stupid question...of course I do!" She shoved him gently with her shoulder and a small smile appeared on her face. "But then I remember that I have all of you guys right now."

Her eyes flickered up to meet his for a moment, and her smile grew a bit wider. She quickly broke the connection, but the smile wasn't gone.

Takumi blushed, honored at being a part of "you guys", but it was dark, with the only light emanating from the celestial objects above. He hoped it was hidden.

All of a sudden, he felt something _cold_ caressing his cheek. He jolted backwards and gasped, eliciting a laugh from the girl. "It's just my hand, silly. You're really hot."

He blinked a few times, trying to process her words. It turned into an awkward silence for a few seconds, filled in by various cricket chirps, until she, too, realized her mistake.

"I meant temperature-wise! Temperature! Not - not anything else!" she quickly backtracked, panic evident in her voice.

Now it was his turn to laugh...and maybe get some revenge. He reached out, and, hoping what he saw was her, cupped her cheek in his curled palm.

"As expected...you're very hot too."

A line that took a year's worth of courage to say, but definitely worth it. They sat stock-still in complete mortification for another few seconds.

He snorted, breath catching at the back of his throat, but that was all it took for both of them to burst out laughing.

"Ah...I'm sorry…" he managed to choke out.

"No, it's okay...I started it…" Oboro reassured him.

"Ahh…"

They lapsed into silence yet again.

Takumi chose to speak up. "Are you still okay to talk about it? I mean…" He lets the sentence go unfinished, as he doesn't really have any qualms about it, just checking to make sure it's really okay with her.

"It really is funny, Takumi," she glanced at him, a sly smile on her lips. "You're easier to talk to about this than anyone else…"

" _Or_ am I the only one you've talked to about it?" he deadpanned. It _was_ the more likely scenario.

"Ah...now that I think 'bout it…" she put a finger to her chin in a childlike way, almost mocking him. "Wait…" She slowly relaxed out of the position. "You _are_ the only person I've...um, opened up to."

 _So how does that make you feel?_ Her expression seemed to read. He swallowed out of nervousness, and asked, "why me? You've only known me for...two weeks, has it been?"

She shook her head, ponytail flailing about at the back. "I just said it. You're a good listener."

"All I did was ask you a few awkward questions and expect awkward answers!" he protested. Not that he _didn't_ want Oboro to trust him, but he needed an answer to this question now.

She crossed her arms rather menacingly. "Look, I already did it. Are you gonna make me regret it?"

"No - no!" _Ah, this is going all wrong._ "Ah - sorry. I just - uh, it's because -"

"People don't really open to you that much?" The smirk was back, so now he knew he was being teased. "Yeah, I can see why."

"Hey!"

"You ask questions, but you ask too many questions!" she continued, the smirk growing wider. "Curiosity killed the cat, you know!"

"You've hurt my pride," he announced, continuing the charade.

"You had pride?"

"Oh my…" he put his head in his hands, secretly grinning. _I set myself up for that, didn't I._

She laughed too. "C'mon, you walked into that one - no, you even _waltzed_ into there. You know you can do better!"

"Yes, I can," he murmured. "I definitely will."

And it was at that moment that Oboro chose to fall sideways, leaning against Takumi.

"Ahh...talking with you has made me really sleepy…" She punctuated it with a yawn.

"Is - is it because I'm boring?" he joked, keeping his voice even so it diDn'T soUnD LIkE tHIs.

 _Does it not matter to her? She's the one leaning on me.._

"No, of course not!" Her tone was genuine. "I enjoyed it very much!"

"Oh." _That's one step closer to my goal!_ "Do you think we should go back inside, then?"

"Hmm…" Suddenly, Takumi had a vision of Oboro doing the thinking stance again while saying it. She did look good doing it...but then again, she would look good doing anything.

"I mean...it's a pretty good temperature out here...and...I don't mind falling asleep under the stars with you…"

 _So then what is that supposed to mean!? Does she like me as a friend, or what…!_

He wasn't going to pass up this chance, though.

"Sure! If you want to, I'll stay here...with you."

"I'd like nothing more."

 _And that exchange! What is this!?_

He felt that weight again on his shoulder, signifying that she was resting her head on it.

 _So...do I put my arm around her?_

In a millisecond, he weighed the pros and cons of doing it. Pros - warm, feelings, goal achievement. Cons - sweaty palms, she might hate me, she might really hate me.

In the end, the war in his mind was decided, with _for_ as the victor. So gently, discreetly, he snaked his arm around her and rested it on her...shoulder. Her shirt crinkled under his touch. He didn't feel close enough to place it elsewhere...yet.

She leaned in to his touch, nuzzling his shoulder.

 _So...now we just have to sleep like this._

Sleeping sitting up...wasn't too bad, he supposed. It could have gone worse, he supposed. If Hinata and Hana woke up before they did, they were screwed, he supposed.

Before long, Oboro had fallen asleep, chest rising and falling naturally. It didn't take long for Takumi to follow suit either, surrounded by the stars and sounds of the night.

 _I hope I don't snore_ was his last thought before slipping into the void.

All in all, it was a night of great accomplishment.

* * *

 **Woohoo guys finished my first exams and back from the ded :D**

 **Have not updated in so long ;-;**

 **Fortunately, it's slowly getting to where I want it to go. So, cheers!**

 **Thank you all for your continued support. Leave a review if you want, don't leave one if you don't. Until next time!**


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